Yet, in my experience it controls us in a similar, subtler way. Those of us who are or who have been unable to put down that piece of cake, say no to one more cookie, or who stare longingly at the cranberry bliss bars and other assorted sweets at starbucks while waiting for our coffees understand that on some level there is an urge there that is difficult to control. We can beat it temporarily through willpower, unfortunately that never seems to last.

That’s because we are addicted.

Admit it. That’s the first step. Like alcoholics and drug abusers – we have a problem. It’s just that ours is more socially acceptable. We’re still at the mercy of sugar. We’re still at the mercy of cravings. We’re still at the mercy of something that IS NOT GOOD FOR US.

As silly as it might seem to those who don’t suffer for it – it’s real. And I believe it affects millions.

I promised you 3 reasons to kick sugar addiction. Here they are:

1. It’s really bad for your health. Sugar ravishes your body. Seriously. Want to learn more? [link]Why sugar is bad for you[/link].
2. Like any addiction – you are out of control. Your needs sometimes or often dictate your behaviour. You are subservient to cravings and desires. This will affect you in many aspects in your life because you’re subconsciously telling yourself that you’re not in charge of you. Master this – and watch not only your health but other aspects of your life improve – sometimes dramatically.
3. It makes no sense. You spend time and money on sweets that do nothing buy sap your energy, harm your health and either make you overweight or force you to exercise like mad so you’re not.

Let’s look at each of those a little more closely.

It’s bad for your health. Yep. Really bad. Here’s [link]why sugar is devastating for you[/link]. Feed your body and your mind what it needs to operate at a higher level. You deserve it.

You’re out of control. Most people don’t realise this – when you don’t have control over something in your life, it sends a clear message to your subconscious. You’re along for the ride. Not driving. This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time. Take control of this – and watch not only your health improve, but your mood, your body, your perspective, your energy – but your ability to trust yourself and get more done in other areas of your life too.

It makes no sense. This was the one that finally got me to tackle my sugar addiction. I was spending money to eat cakes, cookies, cheesecakes – you name it – that were doing nothing but making me fat, making me lazy, and sapping my energy. It was a lose-lose situation for me, and I hate that.

Dropping the sweets was one of the hardest things I’ve done. It required discipline, a strong desire to do something different, and – frankly – a bet. A bet that I couldn’t drop sugar for 2 weeks. Those 2 weeks were brutal. But there was no way I was going to lose that bet. And at the end of the 2 weeks, what did I do? I extended it for another 2. Then another. It takes a while to get past those urges. They were pretty overwhelming at times. The amazing thing is – no matter how strong – they would pass. Usually it wouldn’t take very long – generally as soon as I got focussed on something else. Occasionally I would try to satisfy the craving with a coffee or a glass of wine. That generally worked, although I don’t advocate it except as a last resort.

Sugar addictions are nothing to laugh at. If you suffer from one – you have my full compassion and understanding. And you too can beat it and reap the benefits in so many areas of your life.